Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum
- History, Facts and InformationThe content of this article provides
interesting facts and information providing a helpful Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum.
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Visiting the
Roman Colosseum.

Tourist Guide to the Roman ColosseumThis Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum
is a personal view on what to look at when you are visiting
the ruins of the Roman Colosseum. This short tourist guide
only takes a couple of minutes to read but it will give you
an insight into this famous monument in Rome and will
provide answers to the questions that people ask when they
visit the Roman Colosseum. Print this page and take it with
you on your tour. For other places of interest to visit in
Rome please click Ancient Rome Buildings.

Helpful Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum - Useful background info *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum- Death inside the arena *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum - The Outside Walls of the Colosseum *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum- Inside the Colosseum - Who sat where? *** Under the Colosseum - The Hypogeum *** The Top the Colosseum - The Velarium *** Ancient history, facts and interesting information about the Romans

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum
- Useful Background informationThe Roman Colosseum which
was commissioned by the Flavian family, the Emperors
Vespasian and Titus. The Colosseum was originally called the
'Flavian Amphitheatre'. The name Colosseum was derived from
a colossal statue of the Emperor Nero which stood on this
area. Building started in started in c70AD and was finished
by c80AD! Just 10 years to build. The Roman Colosseum is
still standing 2000 years after it was built. The structure
has survived earthquakes, fire and plundering.

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum-
Death inside the ColosseumRemember that nearly 1 million people died in this bloody
arena and that as many as 5000 animals were slaughtered in
one day. Gladiators were forced to fight to the death.
Criminals and Christians faced torture and horrendous
executions. The
wild and exotic animals at the Colosseum were brought
from all over the Roman Empire. During just one festival in
240 AD a staggering: 2,000 gladiators, 70 lions, 40 wild
horses, 30 elephants, 30 leopards, 20 wild asses, 19
giraffes, 10 antelopes, 10 hyenas, 10 tigers, 1 hippopotamus
and 1 rhinoceros were slaughtered. Some wild animals were killed to the point of
extinction...

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum
- The Outside Walls of the Colosseum The outside walls of the Roman Colosseum
tell the story of the most famous amphitheatre in the world.
Its good to try to imagine what the Colosseum would have
looked like when it was built 2000 years ago. There are
plenty of tourists books on sale which provide an overlay to
the existing ruins.

The
Walls - When the Colosseum was first built they would have been
covered with marble

The Arches and
Entrances

- The Colosseum
amphitheatre was therefore ringed by
eighty massive entrance gates at
ground level which formed the
entrances and exits for the
spectators

- The gates were tall enough to accommodate the
largest animals such as elephants and giraffes

- The Columns of the arches - Look closely and you
will see each tier has a different style

- - The
first level with plain sturdy Doric
"order" or style arches

- - Second level with Ionic
arches - look for the spiral scroll-like ornament
at the top of the column

- - All around the ruins of the Colosseum are the
remains of many ruined columns - with your knowledge of the
classical styles you will be able to figure out where they
originally came from

- The Roman Numerals - Look
out for the numbers above the entrances for example the number
XXXVIII would mean Gate 38 which enabled Romans to find their seats
in the Colosseum quickly

- - The Colosseum was free to the ancient Romans but
they had to get their tickets in advance!

The Holes in the Walls - these were due to people in the Middle Ages plundering the iron
clamps, which held the stone together without mortar, and used to
make Medieval weapons

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum-
Inside the Colosseum - Who sat where?Who would have sat where in
the Colosseum? Where would the Roman Emperor have sat? Where
did the Vestal Virgins sit? The seating areas would have
been covered with marble.

Get your bearings ***

Get and idea of the
seating arrangements ***

The areas of
seating reflected the social status of the Romans ***

Look for the simple cross
which commemorates the Christians that died in the arena ***

The Roman Emperors sat
where the cross is now placed. The Emperors had a canopied Imperial
Box on a dais ***

On the
opposite side would have been where the Vestal Virgins would have
sat ***

On the same level
the most important Romans (politicians, senators, priests, magistrates) and
visiting dignitaries would have sat - they used elegant portable
fold-up stools to sit on ***

The 2nd level is
where the high ranking equites (knights or officers) sat ***

The 3rd tier is
where the 'Plebs' would have been seated - sectioned by the poor
plebs and the wealthy Plebs ***

An automated system
sprinkled perfume over the spectators to mask the stench of the hot
spectators, the combatants and the animals ***

Romans could buy food
at the Colosseum but alcohol was banned ***

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum-
Under the Colosseum - The HypogeumThe arena area of the Colosseum
has been excavated to reveal the
Hypogeum,
which was built by the Emperor Domitian. The hypogeum
refers to the vast network of rooms, cells, tunnels and passages
under the 6 acre area of the Roman Colosseum. Elevators and
pulleys raised and lowered scenery and props, as well as lifting
animals and gladiators to the surface of the arena through a
system of trap doors. The Colosseum was a vast complex and
Tunnels under
the Colosseum led to other
buildings such as the Gladiator Schools, the Imperial Palace and
the buildings where armor, weapons, scenery and equipment were
kept. The addition of the Hypogeum would have prevented any
water battles
taking place in the arena.

Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum-
The Top the Colosseum - The VelariumOver the top of the
building there would have been a retractable, panelled,
awning at the Roman Colosseum, called the
Velarium. Its
purpose was to provide shade for the spectators who watched
the gladiatorial games in the blistering sun and heat of
Ancient Rome.

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Helpful Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum - Useful background info *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum- Death inside the arena *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum - The Outside Walls of the Colosseum *** Tourist Guide to the Roman Colosseum- Inside the Colosseum - Who sat where? *** Under the Colosseum - The Hypogeum *** The Top the Colosseum - The Velarium *** Ancient history, facts and interesting information about the Romans